Notorious Twitter hacks

The recent hack on the Associated Press’s Twitter account is only one in a line of high-profile hackings. In some cases, the hackers post amusing or silly posts once they steal access. In other cases, their efforts are more serious. Here’s a look at some of the most high-profile Twitter hacks.
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Associated Press

Hackers accessed the Associated Press account and used it to send out an made up Tweet about an attack at the White House. The tweet, which said that there had been two explosions at the White House and President Obama was injured, came after hackers made repeated attempts to steal the passwords of AP journalists, according to the AP.
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Burger King

When the Burger King account was hacked, the hackers simply chose to promote rival chain McDonalds.
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PayPal

PayPal’s United Kingdom Twitter account was hacked, and hackers chose to change the company’s profile picture to a pile of excrement while directing followers to paypalsucks.com.
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Britney Spears

It’s not just companies that are vulnerable to Twitter hacks, celebrities can fall victim too. Britney Spears was hacked and the hacker posted messages about her allegiance to Satan. Spears was also hacked a separate time when her feed touted her own death.
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Fox News

When Fox News got hacked, the hackers Tweeted the erroneous news that anchor Bill O’Reilly was gay. Other fake Tweets sent out by hackers included that President Obama had been assassinated.
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Jeep

When Jeep’s Twitter feed was hacked, the company had its logo swapped for the Cadillac logo. The hackers also sent out profanity-laced messages and others accusing company employees of drug abuse.
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